Exposure prone procedures are those where the health care worker’s fingers and a needle or other sharp object are both in a “poorly visualized or highly confined anatomic site”. 40 MMWR (No. RR-8) 1 (1991). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has promulgated guidelines for health care providers which define exposure prone procedures and state that HIV positive health care workers (HCW) should not perform such procedures without evaluation by a review panel. The panel is made up of public health officials. Federal legislation has made adoption of the guidelines mandatory unless the state adopts its own equivalent. The guidelines have been the source of criticism.